The Order of the Durrani Empire (Nishan-i-Daulat-i-Durrani) was awarded to British field officers and above during the First Afghan War by Shah Shujah Durrani of Afghanistan in gratitude for his restoration to the throne.p.139 British Battles and Medals by Major L L Gordon; published by Spink & Son Ltd 1947
The first investiture of the order was held at a grand durbar in the courtyard of the Harem Serai of the Bala Hissar, Kabul, on the evening of 17 September 1839.pp. 322-323 The Expedition into Affghanistan: notes and sketches descriptive of the country, contained in a personal narrative during the campaign of 1839 & 1840 by James Atkinson, etc; published by W H Allen & Co, London, 1842 At the time there were not enough decorations prepared but on the day those who were not on duty were presented before the king.p. 21 The Asiatic Journal and Monthly Miscellany, Volume 31, 1840 The result was that there are numerous variations in the stars and medals as many were subsequently made in India and Europe, particularly in the number of pearls on the order.
There were three classes to the order as to emulate the three classes of the Order of the Bath. The first and second classes had both a star and a medal while the third consisted of a medal only. The medal of all three classes had the red/green ribbon of the Ghuznee Medal.
1st Class
Medal: A gold Maltese cross with eight points terminating in a gold bead on two crossed swords. In the centre is a green flower on a blue enamel ground with the words "durr-i-durran" in Persian script, meaning "pearl of the age", the name attributed to the Durrani dynasty. The enamel centre is encircled by pearls.
Star: A silver star with a smaller Maltese cross in gold overlaid in the same style as the medal with the addition of a diamond on each arm of the gold cross. There are 17 pearls circling the enamel work.
2nd Class
Medal: As the 1st class but with 20 pearls encircling the centre.
Star: A silver star shaped like a Maltese cross with the gold medal overlaid as above but with 18 pearls.
3rd Class
Medal: As the 1st class but with 14 pearls encircling the centre.
Recipients This is not an exhaustive list
1st Class Lieut. Col. Sir Alexander Burnes Lieut. General Sir Willoughby Cotton Lord Auckland Lieut. General Sir John Keane Sir William Hay Macnaghten Lieut. Col. Sir Claude Martin Wade Major General Sir Thomas Willshire
2nd Class Lieut. Col. Robert Arnold Lieut. Col. JG Beaumgardt Major A Campbell Major Patrick Craigie Major William Garden Lieut. Col. Keith Lieut. Col. Macdonald Major General Sir James Outram Major General James Parsons Major Alexander Peat Major General Abraham Roberts Major General Sir Robert Henry Sale Lieut. Col. J Scott Major General Edward Simpson Lieut. Col. Stephenson General Sir Joseph Thackwell Lieut. Col. George Thomson Major Elliot D'Arcy Todd Lieut. Col. Hugh Wheeler
3rd Class Major General Augustus Abbott Major William Alexander Captain William Anderson Superintending Surgeon James Atkinson Captain JDD Bean Colonel David Birrell Lieut. Col. Bulstrode Bygrave Lieut. Col. Neil Campbell Lieut. Col. Charles Carmichael Smyth Lieut. Col. Richard Carruthers Major General John Christie Major CJ Connyngham Captain Edward Barry Conolly Lieut. Col. Croker Lieut. Col. David Cuninghame Lieut. Col. Charles Robert Cureton Lieut. Col. Daly Captain David Davidson Lieut. Col. William Dennie Major Deshon Major General Thomas Douglas Superintending Surgeon J Forsyth Major J Fraser Captain H Garbett Major C Griffiths Major Crawford Hagart Major Henry Hancock Major John Hay Lieut. Col. John Herring Captain Hugh Johnson General Sir George St Patrick Lawrence Major Robert Leech Mr PB Lord Lieutenant Frederick Mackeson Lieut. Col. James Maclaren Lieut. Col. McDowell Lieut. Col. GHM McGregor Captain James McGregor Major Thomas McSherry Colonel Thomas Monteath Lieut. Col. Joseph Orchard Lieut. Col. John Pennycuick Lieut. Col. William Persse Lieut. Col. Peter Pew Major Edward Pottinger Lieut. Col. Sir HC Rawlinson Captain James Nathaniel Rind Lieut. Col. Henry Salter Captain Edward Sanders Lieut. Col. Bentham Sandwith General Sir Richmond Shakespeare Lieut. Col. LR Stacy Lieut. Col. Foster Stalker Major Robert Thomas Major John Thompson Lieut. Col. Tronson Captain Hamilton Wade Captain A Wall Major General George Warren Lieut. Col. John Weston Lieut. Col. CB Wheeler Captain Foster Wheler Colonel GP Wymer Captain AGFJ Younghusband
References